Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-05-15

man she loves. Her beauty moved about
the place like a beam of light about a gar
den, for she was indeed a lovely woman
and as pure and good as she was lovely.
Nor could John long remain in ignorance
of her partiality for him. He was not 4
vain man-very much the reverse, indeed
but neither was he q fool. And it
must he said that, though Bessie never
overstepped the bounds of maidenly
reserve, neither did she take particular
pains to hide her preference. Indeed it
was too strong to permit Of her doing so.
Not that she was animated by the half de-
vine, soul soaring breath of passion. such
rs animated her Sister-which is n very
rare thing, and, take it altogether, as I'M
desirable and unsuitable TO the ordinary
conditions of this prOsaic and work-a-day
life as it is rare-but she was tenderly and
and truly in love after the ordinary young
womanly fashion indeed, her passion,
measured by the every day standard,
would have proved TO be a deep one. How
ever this was, she was undoubtedly pre-
pared to make John Mel a faithful and a
loving wife if he chose to ask her to be-
come so.
And as the weeks went On-though, Of
course, he knew nothing of all this-it be-
came n very serious question to John
whether he should not ask her. 1t is not
good for man to live alone, especially in
the Transvaal, and 1t was not possible for
him to pass day by day at the side of so
much beauty and so much grace without
thinking that it would be well to draw the
bond of union closer. Indeed, had John
been a younger man or had less experience
he would have succumbed to the tempta-
ton much oOner than he did. But he
was neither very young nor very inexperi-
enced. Ten years or more ago, in his green
and gushing youth, he had, as has been
said, burned his fingers pretty sharply,
and ALVEY recollection of this incident i'll
his career had heretofore proved
a very efficient warning to him.
Also, he had got to that
period of life when men think q great many
times before they wildly commit them
selves TO the deep MATRIMONIAL waters.
But, however commercially cautiousa mai
may be, he is always liable to be thrown
into temptation suficiS1tly strong to sweep
away his caution and make a mOckery Of
his plans. However strong the rope it has
its breaking strain; and in the same way
our power Of resistance tOany given course
depends entirely upon the power of the
temptation to draw us into it. And so it
was destined To be with our friend John
Mel.
1t was about a week after his conversa-
ton with old Silas Croft that it occurred
to John that BesSie's manner had grown
rather strange OF late. 1t seemed TO him
that she had avoided his society instead of,
if not counting it, at least showing q GER
: tain partiality for it. Also, she had been
looking pale and worried and eyinced a
tendency to irritation hat was quite for
eign to her natural sweetness Of DISPOSE
ton. Now, when q person on whom one
is accustomed to depend for most of that
social intercourse and those pleasant little
amenities that members OF one sex value
from another, suddenly cuts off
the supply without any apparent
rhyme or reason, it is enough
to induce q feeling of wonder, not to say of
vexatiou, in the breast. 1t never occurred
to John that the reason might be that Bees
sic was truly fond of him, and perhaps I'M
consciously disappointed that he did not
show q warmer interest in her. II, how
ever, we were to examine into the facts of
the case we should probably discover that
this was the real explanation Of the change.
Bessie was a straightforward young woman,
whose mind and purposes were us clear as
running water. She was veXed with John,
though she would probably not have
owned iteyen to herself in so many words,
and her manner reflected the condition Of
her mind.
Bessie" said John one lovely day, Just
as the afternoon was merging into evening
-"Bessie'-he always calledlher Bessie
now am going down to the black wat
tie plantation by the big mealie patch. |
want to see how those young trees are
doing. If you have done your cooking
for Bessie had been engaged in making a
cake, as young ladies, to their souls
health, often have to do in the colonies
II wish you would put on your hat and
come with me. / dou't believe that you
have been out to-day
"I'hank you, Capt. Neil, y answered Bes-
sic, looking at him in n b%ewitching little
way she well knew how to assume, thank
you, butt think | rather not 90 ont walk
ing" This was what she said, but her
eyes added, 81 am offended with you. |
want to have nothing to do with you"
every WELL said John; then suppose
| must 60 alone" and he took up his hat
with the air of u martyr.
Eessie looked through the open kitchen
door at the lights and shadows that chased
|, each other across the swelling bosom ofthe
hill behind the house,
at certainly is very fine, " shesaid; "are
you going tar?'
"No, only round the plantation"
''Therc are so many pun adders down
|, there, and | hate snakes" suggested Bes-
sic, by way of finding another excuse for
not coming.
"Oh, Pll look after the pun adders-
come along"
"WelI," she said Mt last, 81 will come,
not because want to come, but because
you have oyerpersuaded me. ! don't
know what has come TO me" she added,
with a little stamp and n sudden filling OF
her blue eyes with tears, ." do not seem to
have any will of my own left. When
want to do one thing and you van me To
do another, il is | who have TO do what
you want, and l tell you l don't like it,
Capt. Mel, and l shall be very cross out
walking" and she swept past him, on her
way to fetch her hat, in that peculiarly
graceful way that angry women can some
times assume, and left him rejecting that
he never saw a more charming or taking
lady in Europe or out of it.
He had half a mind to risk it and ask
her to marry him. But then, perhaps, she
might refuse him, and that was an idea
that he did not quite take to. After our
first youth few men altogether relish the
idea Of putting themselves in a position
that gives capricious woman an opportuni-
ty Of first figuratively jumping on them,
and then perhaps holding them up to the
scorn and obloquy of her friends, relations
and other admirers. For, unfortunately,
until the opposite is clearly demonstrated,
many men are apt to believe that not few
women are by nature capriciOus, shallow
and unreliable; and John Mel, owing,
possibly, to that unhappy little experience